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NOUS42 KMHX 031037
PNSMHX
NCZ029-044>047-079>081-090>095-098-103-104-031445-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
637 AM EDT MON JUN 3 2013

...NORTH CAROLINA RIP CURRENT AWARENESS WEEK FOR 2013...

THE WEEK OF JUNE 2ND THROUGH JUNE 8TH HAS BEEN DECLARED RIP
CURRENT AWARENESS WEEK. TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS HOW AND WHERE RIP
CURRENTS TYPICALLY FORM AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM FROM SHORE.

RIP CURRENTS CAN BE FOUND ON MOST SURF BEACHES EVERY DAY. THEY ARE
FORMED WHEN WAVES BREAK NEAR THE SHORELINE...PILING UP WATER
BETWEEN THE BREAKING WAVES AT THE BEACH. ONE OF THE WAYS THIS
WATER RETURNS TO SEA IS TO FORM A RIP CURRENT...A NARROW JET OF
WATER THAT MOVES SWIFTLY OFFSHORE...ROUGHLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE
SHORELINE. UNDER MOST TIDE AND SEA CONDITIONS THE SPEEDS ARE
RELATIVELY SLOW...HOWEVER UNDER CERTAIN WAVE...TIDE AND BEACH
PROFILE CONDITIONS...THE SPEEDS CAN QUICKLY INCREASE TO BECOME
DANGEROUS TO ANYONE ENTERING THE SURF...EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED
SWIMMERS.

RIP CURRENTS MOST TYPICALLY FORM AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN
SANDBARS AND ALSO NEAR STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES AND
PIERS. RIP CURRENTS CAN BE VERY NARROW OR EXTEND IN WIDTHS TO
HUNDREDS OF YARDS. THE SEAWARD PULL OF RIP CURRENTS VARIES FROM
JUST BEYOND THE LINE OF BREAKING WAVES TO HUNDREDS OF YARDS
OFFSHORE.

SOME OF THE CLUES BEACHGOERS CAN USE TO IDENTIFY RIP CURRENTS
INCLUDING: A CHANNEL OF CHURNING...CHOPPY WATER...AN AREA HAVING A
NOTABLE DIFFERENCE IN WATER COLOR...A LINE OF FOAM...SEAWEED OR
DEBRIS MOVING STEADILY SEAWARD...OR A BREAK IN THE INCOMING WAVE
PATTERN. THE ABOVE CLUES MAY OR MAY NOT INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF
RIP CURRENTS AND RIP CURRENTS ARE OFTEN NOT READILY OR EASILY
IDENTIFIABLE TO THE AVERAGE BEACHGOER. IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
THE POSSIBILITIES OF RIP CURRENTS OCCURRING IN THE SURF...IT IS
BEST TO ASK AN ON DUTY LIFE GUARD BEFORE ENTERING THE WATER.

TOMORROW WE WILL DISCUSS RIP CURRENT SAFETY...AND HOW THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS RIP CURRENTS...INCLUDING WHAT THE
DIFFERENT RISK LEVELS MEAN. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RIP
CURRENTS...PLEASE VISIT WWW.RIPCURRENTS.NOAA.GOV OR IF YOU ARE AT
THE BEACH...ASK AN ON DUTY LIFEGUARD.

$$